Duxbury Music Festival presents innovative chamber music

During the 16-day festival, 150 volunteers welcome musicians and audiences to a festival known for its innovative programming and talented musicians. This town involvement – faculty are guests in residents’ homes – helps director Stephen Deitz realize his goal to make classical music more accessible.

By Jody Feinberg

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Jody Feinberg

Posted Jul. 18, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 18, 2013 at 6:10 PM

By Jody Feinberg

Posted Jul. 18, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 18, 2013 at 6:10 PM

» Social News

With Duxbury Beach as a background, the Duxbury Music Festival opens July 21 with chamber music performed under a large tent in the yard of Diane and Sherm Hoyt.

During the 16-day festival, the Hoyts are among the 150 volunteers who welcome musicians and audiences to a festival known for its innovative programming and talented musicians. This town involvement – faculty are guests in residents’ homes – helps director Stephen Deitz realize his goal to make classical music more accessible.

“The community is incredibly involved in this festival,” said Deitz, who taught piano at South Shore Conservatory until 2009. “And I think being near the sea and being outdoors has a calming effect, which makes audiences more receptive.”

Created by South Shore Conservatory eight years ago, the festival presents eight concerts by 18 promising pianists and string players from around the country and the top professional musicians with whom they study. Three other concerts feature visiting musicians performing pop, rhythm and blues, and children’s music.

Deitz has selected a repertoire largely by living composers, as well as pieces that express the connections between classical music and jazz.

“I think a great many people think classical music is an art form that is hard to get into,” said Deitz, who coaches chamber ensembles in Los Angeles. “One of the ways to ease people into classical music is to present music that blurs the boundaries and blends classical and jazz. I’ve tried to include more jazz and jazz-inspired repertoire.”

That’s especially apparent in the faculty concert “All That’s Jazz” July 29 at Ellison Center for the Arts. Compositions by Alex Templeton, James Grant, Steve Reich and Claude Bolling have jazz-inspired rhythms, harmonies and improvisations framed in a classical form.

The free master classes by pianist Nelita True and violinist Felicia Moye also make classical music more accessible, since the audiences watches a teacher work with students.

“It’s a bit like watching a magician in slow motion and discovering the sleight of hand,” Deitz said. “The performance gets transformed into something far greater than it was when the student walked onstage and the audience becomes aware of the magic.”

At the opening concert, audiences will hear violist Dahm Huh – winner of last summer’s solo competition – perform a world premier of “Magic,” a piece for violin and piano by Mayako Kubo, and they will hear other musicians play “Lachrymae,” by Benjamin Britten, born 100 years ago.

“Every year, it’s exciting for me, because I love finding new and interesting music that is under performed,” Deitz said. “I go out of my way to avoid most of the music that is standard repertoire that people can hear elsewhere.”

Other highlights are two faculty concerts in private homes and a free faculty and student concert July 28 on the Duxbury Town Green. Other outdoor concerts are The Boston String Quartet performing music by the Beatles July 26, In the House playing rhythm and blues July 27, and Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys entertaining children July 28.

Page 2 of 2 - The festival closes Aug. 2 with a concert by winners of the festival’s solo and chamber competitions.